front drive shaft damaged boot and joint

I thought I had a cv axle problem. I jacket up the truck and checked the IWE and they were fine. The wheels/ CV axles turned smoothly at full droop. I suppose that doesn't mean they aren't damaged. I noticed that the front boot to the front drive shaft was ripped out. I pulled the front drive shaft and there is definitely a difference between the front and rear joint as far as play goes. I am guessing the boot had been damaged for a while and debris has buggered up the bearings. I'll take the drive shaft to my dealer parts man and see if the whole shaft need replacement of if you can do just the end.
Middle pic is the rear joint boot of the front drive shaft

I thought it was the whole shaft that comes from the dealer.

Any idea why the boot was missing? Looks nasty in there!

Yukon Joe
www.RUNRAPTORRUN.com

Mine is the exact same way! I've been chasing down an issue with my 2014 - I can drive spiritedly all day in town but as soon as I'm on the highway, i will get the dreaded IWE grinding intermittently above 50mph, especially when I hit dips in the road. Changed IWEs, CV axles (granted w/ the cheap O'Reilly Duralast brand), vacuum lines, and all of the front suspension during routine maintenance.

Then I found the boot ripped on the front driveshaft and grease thrown everywhere. I'm looking up a replacement front drive shaft right now. Did that fix your problem, and do you mine sharing what brand you bought? Thanks!

Wow you dug up a 2014 thread. I feel old. Anyway that looks buggered up. That’s a technical term for stuff in there. How does a boot like that get torn off? I need to look at mine.

stevenstommyboy1 said:

Wow you dug up a 2014 thread. I feel old. Anyway that looks buggered up. That’s a technical term for stuff in there. How does a boot like that get torn off? I need to look at mine.

Click to expand...

Yeah I've been researching high & low on the problem i've got, so naturally I try to start here first. This seemed to be the only related thread when I search "2014 Front driveshaft"

I don't think there is a "Raptor Tax" on the front driveshaft. So that helps.

I'm a (grateful) idiot. Even though I need to replace the front driveshaft, my problem ended up being the plastic shroud above the wheel well.

I hit a big puddle at the local ORV park and the force of the water broke the tabs on both sides of the wheel well plastic liner lol. It was rubbing and vibrating against the truck at cruising speed and it sounded almost like the dreaded IWE noise. First time I had an issue resolved with only zip-ties.

i just buy the boots for $25 and replace those. have done it several times over the years.